The process of retraining problem behaviors and introducing new behaviors.

• A. Feedback
• B. Counter-conditioning
• C. Modeling
• D. Contingency contracting

Answer: (B)

Counter-conditioning is about replacing a problematic response with a more adaptive one by changing how a person reacts to a trigger. It trains new, preferable reactions to stimuli that used to provoke the undesired behavior, often through practice and reinforcement of the new response and, when possible, pairing the trigger with a more neutral or positive cue. This makes the old behavior less likely because the emotional or physiological reaction to the trigger has shifted toward the new, healthier response. For example, a student who acts out when stressed can learn a calm coping routine and have it reinforced, so the stress cue prompts the coping behavior instead of the outburst. This differs from feedback, which conveys information about performance without directly establishing a new response; modeling, while showing the desired behavior, doesn’t by itself ensure the new response is adopted; and contingency contracting uses a written agreement with consequences rather than retraining automatic responses to stimuli.